Porta Portuensis was one of the monumental gates in the defensive walls of ancient Rome, built during the times of Emperor Aurelian in the 3rd century CE. The gate was located in the western part of the city, near today’s Trastevere, and led to the Roman Port, one of the main trading centers of antiquity, located at the mouth of the Tiber River. The gate was rebuilt in 403 CE, during the reign of Honorius.
Porta Portuensis was crucial to trade because it connected the city with the port and was an important communication hub. Goods passed through it via Portuensis from various corners of the Roman Empire – from grain from Egypt, through olive oil from Spain, to exotic products from Asia and Africa. It was mainly a trade gate.
The gate itself had a monumental character typical of the era, with two semicircular defensive towers on the sides and two arches through which both carts with goods and pedestrians could pass.
Porta Portuensis survived until the 17th century when it was demolished on the orders of Pope Urban VIII, who decided to rebuild the city’s fortifications. In its place, a new gate, Porta Portese, was built, which can still be admired today.
